Sons of the Forest: scripting guide for beginners

Guide for beginners to scripting for Sons of the Forest

Diving into scripting for Sons of the Forest requires a bit more technical approach. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you start with your modding skills:

Step 1: Setting up an environment

1. Essential Tools:
   • dnSpy: A powerful .NET decompiler for analyzing game assemblies.
   • UnityExplorer: Useful for live game inspections, allowing you to explore Unity objects, manipulate variables, and debug scripts directly in-game.
   • Visual Studio: A robust IDE for writing, testing, and debugging C# scripts.
   • MelonLoader: A popular mod loader for Unity-based games, enabling mod injections into Sons of the Forest. Install this tool to manage and run your custom scripts seamlessly.
2. Environment Configuration:
   • After installing the necessary tools, ensure that Sons of the Forest is correctly configured to work with MelonLoader.
   • Place MelonLoader’s files in the game directory and run the game once to generate necessary folders like Mods and Plugins.
3. Understanding Game Architecture:
   • The game is built on the Unity engine, meaning that scripts are organized into assemblies (DLLs). By exploring these with dnSpy, you can see how different game systems work.

Step 2: Scripting concepts

1. C# Advanced Programming:
   • Focus on inheritance and polymorphism, which are essential when extending game classes. Understanding how to create custom classes that extend game functionality is key to complex modding.
   • Reflection: Learn to use reflection in C# to access private fields and methods within game code, which allows you to modify or interact with otherwise inaccessible aspects of the game.
2. Using UnityExplorer Effectively:
   • This tool helps you inspect Unity objects during runtime. For example, you can access and modify player statistics, enemy behaviors, or environmental variables in real-time.
   • Scripting Shortcuts: Create scripts that call UnityExplorer functions directly, allowing for quick changes like altering gravity or spawning objects.
3. Understanding Assembly-CSharp.dll:
   • This DLL is the core of game mechanics in Unity games like Sons of the Forest. Using dnSpy, you can navigate this assembly to find the methods you want to tweak.
   • Focus on key classes like PlayerStats, AIController, and InventoryManager to create meaningful mods.

This guide should help you advance in scripting for Sons of the Forest. With these tools and techniques, you can create mods that fundamentally alter game mechanics, providing a richer experience for yourself and the community. Happy modding!